Ideas On Car Audio Replacement

[Digitalbanana]

I want to replace the car audio player in my Fortuner from the bog standard Toyota 6 CD mp3 player unit to something that can play off a USB device or memory card. My friend has a cheap looking JVC brand that doesn't exactly fit the console of the car and it seems limited to mp3 with somewhat hit and miss track searching and display on the LCD. Anyone had nothing but success with their unit and what is it? Sat nav as an option is ok too... no cheap generic brands though I think?

[MoonRiverOasis]

New minor change Fortuner has USB and AUX support (but still no GPS)

If you want to go the aftermarket route, best bet is to stick to the more reputed name brands, e.g. Pioneer, Sony, Alpine, Kenwood etc, and make sure you get it fitted by a competant installer that has all the right hardware and accessories to make it look right.

I wouldn't worry about spending extra to get a unit with built-in GPS, as they're always quirky to use, and poor quality maps. Best bet for GPS will always be a Garmin in TH, due to regular map updates, and huge range of POI databases available.

[BuckarooBanzai]

I also wanted the ability to play mp3 off a memory stick in my vigo and just out of curiosity bought one of those gismos that plug into your lighter into which you can plug a memory stick full of music. It then transmits on a radio frequency to your in-dash unit. Cost about 300 baht. Boy was I surprised when it worked great! Even came with a remote control. And if there is interference due to a near-by radio station it automatically changes frequencies. A whole lot cheaper than replacing your in-dash unit if your in-dash unit aint broke. Got it at Lotus I think but Big C has them as well. If I would have known it worked as well as it did I would have paid a lot more for it as in-dash radios can be expensive!

The one short coming of the unit is that my GPS unit does not work when the little transmitter is plugged in as it apparently jams the GPS signals. But I can live with that as the GPS is a once-in-a-while tool.

Edit - by the way my GPS unit also has a transmitter to transmit music but it never worked well and as far as I was concerned was unusable. It was not nearly as convenient as a memory stick either.

Edited July 31, 2011 by BuckarooBanzai

[fredob43]

Why not go into Toyota and get one of the set's that they put in there top of the range Fortuner's. Will fit without a problem will also have the screen that you can update to S/Nav later if you want. Dont know if you can still get it but the one they fitted in their Sportivo 11 is great. Flip down screen to load C/D,DVD, mp3, usual plug in hole's, blue tooth, Also has large screen. I dont usually disagree with thing's MRO say's but my S/Nav map's are great. Garmin fitted by Toyota. Just one problem with the Garmin other than price is, a bloody woman speak's to you, and with an American accent so you get ROUT & not ROUTE. My G/L alway's say's to me why you turn on if you only shout at her, and supeak no dood. TIT.

[BuckarooBanzai]

Just one problem with the Garmin other than price is, a bloody woman speak's to you, and with an American accent so you get ROUT & not ROUTE. My G/L alway's say's to me why you turn on if you only shout at her, and supeak no dood. TIT.

I am an American and I say route. Must have hired a southerner. Perhaps they should have used somebody with a cockney accent?

[fredob43]

Just one problem with the Garmin other than price is, a bloody woman speak's to you, and with an American accent so you get ROUT & not ROUTE. My G/L alway's say's to me why you turn on if you only shout at her, and supeak no dood. TIT.

I am an American and I say route. Must have hired a southerner. Perhaps they should have used somebody with a cockney accent?

Now dont be silly If they used a Cockney accent even I wouldn't understand them. So it's the Southerner's that say Rout didn't know that, thank's for the info. At time's I wish someone would throttle her. But other than that the Garmin is very good, in BKK or any big town a god send. Edited July 31, 2011 by fredob43

[timekeeper]

i have a 3 year old Kenwood ddx7039 supplied and fitted by Boy Air & Sound in Pattaya (who is the absolute dogs ****, by the way)

it has inputs for ipod/iphone-USB

its a single unit cd/dvd player but have also added a Kenwood CD changer

i also have a Kenwood/Garmin sat nav unit i bought from Ebay UK

whilst Kenwood said it wasn't compatible with the asian head unit, i thought it was and took a chance on it as it was cheap and came out of a wrecked car

i suspect asian pricing came into formulating their answer

anyway it was a lot cheaper 2nd hand there than the 30,000 baht asked of me at the time of install

i think they have gone down in price here since

BoY fitted it the existing unit for 1000 baht and i upgraded the mapping for free, from the unit installed Uk maps to Thai mapping with a memory card to Thai V11 with the huge assistance of a TV member and its simply fantastic!

i also get a lady who speaks english, english !

i expect these 7039 units are available second hand now and have been supreceded by newer models but i can tell you after 3 years of service, i am very very happy with it

mine owes me around 50,000 baht complete

[fredob43]

i have a 3 year old Kenwood ddx7039 supplied and fitted by Boy Air & Sound in Pattaya (who is the absolute dogs ****, by the way)

it has inputs for ipod/iphone-USB

its a single unit cd/dvd player but have also added a Kenwood CD changer

i also have a Kenwood/Garmin sat nav unit i bought from Ebay UK

whilst Kenwood said it wasn't compatible with the asian head unit, i thought it was and took a chance on it as it was cheap and came out of a wrecked car

i suspect asian pricing came into formulating their answer

anyway it was a lot cheaper 2nd hand there than the 30,000 baht asked of me at the time of install

i think they have gone down in price here since

BoY fitted it the existing unit for 1000 baht and i upgraded the mapping for free, from the unit installed Uk maps to Thai mapping with a memory card to Thai V11 with the huge assistance of a TV member and its simply fantastic!

i also get a lady who speaks english, english !

i expect these 7039 units are available second hand now and have been supreceded by newer models but i can tell you after 3 years of service, i am very very happy with it

mine owes me around 50,000 baht complete

Still a woman Oh well cant have everything but ENGLISH/ENGLISH there is a Buddha. I want one.

[Digitalbanana]

Thanks for replies guys. When I bought the Fortuner out the Toyota show room just over a yr ago it was such a difficult problem to get the existing as built 6 CD payer swapped out for an LCD display I gave up. Now I will try a good brand name like Kenwood as you suggest, as these generic brands for 5000THB look rubbish.

Forget the cig lighter adapter FM transmitter thingies! Been there yrs back, I want something more sophisticated than the 6CD changer from Toyota. But for those who do use it I find it only works in a Fortuner using the power outlet at the rear near the radio antenna built into the rear window. A pain in the butt changing mp3 tracks whilst driving I'll clue ya!

As for the Garmin's woman's voice, there is a program you can download to change that to whatever you want, even your own. Takes a while to set up and record all the voice prompts though so I haven't bothered!

[Sakeopete]

I was just looking at changing the Sony system I had installed 3 years ago in my Fortuner to a 2 DIN system, however I want the USB to be able to support a 500 GB hard drive. Our local car audio shop showed me a JVC KW-AVX846 and says it will support the hard drive but I haven't read anything that supports his claim.

Also am wanting to change my small roof mounted monitor to a 15.4", any recommendations of brands? The Zulex I have now has been a disappointment from day one so I would like to avoid that brand.

[pattayapip]

Why not go into Toyota and get one of the set's that they put in there top of the range Fortuner's. Will fit without a problem will also have the screen that you can update to S/Nav later if you want. Dont know if you can still get it but the one they fitted in their Sportivo 11 is great. Flip down screen to load C/D,DVD, mp3, usual plug in hole's, blue tooth, Also has large screen. I dont usually disagree with thing's MRO say's but my S/Nav map's are great. Garmin fitted by Toyota. Just one problem with the Garmin other than price is, a bloody woman speak's to you, and with an American accent so you get ROUT & not ROUTE. My G/L alway's say's to me why you turn on if you only shout at her, and supeak no dood. TIT.

What about the unit fitted to the Sportivo III ?

It has Full Sat Nav Built into it and uses an SD Card so you update Garmin Maps when you like

[wandrinstar]

Ive got a Harman/ Kardon System as standard,im told its superb, but i hate any sound when driving, and never use it..Or the built in sat nav. I love my Tom Tom, plug and go. If i use a strange car, old Tom comes along. Its like a new mobile, you always miss the old one you left on the Bar. Patpip, yes the Best part of the Sportivo is the SAT NAV, eventally when the dummies turn it on.:jap: